Abstract

Fast development of techniques in radiology can be confusing even for radiologists, not to speak of clinicians. However, usually new methods do not replace old ones but provide extra information. Diagnostic workup of the patient with possible urolithiasis is one of the few exceptions. Traditional methods in the diagnostic algorithm of those patients have been intravenous urography, abdominal plain fi lm and ultrasound examination. The development of nonenhanced computed tomography (CT) has provided a means to enable detection and characterization of urolithiasis with high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. It can also help detect causes of fl ank pain outside the genitourinary tract. Radiation dose has been a concern but nowadays it can be reduced without losing important diagnostic information.
This review compares conventional methods in the diagnostic workup of the patient with flank pain and possible urethral calculus with nonenhanced computed tomography in order to demonstrate the superiority, speed and cost-effectiveness of the latter. It is recommended to use nonenhanced lowdose multislice CT as a first-line imaging method for finding ureteral calculi in patients presenting with renal colic.